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Giants jump on Oregon State batterymates

Giants jump on Oregon State batterymates

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Giants Draft recap 1:37

6/7/11: MLB.com takes a look back at the San Francisco Giants picks from Day 2 of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft

By Adam Berry
/
MLB.com |

SAN FRANCISCO -- Two of the Giants' Day 2 picks will enter the club's system plenty comfortable donning the black and orange. And one of them might get to take a crack at making a far-fetched childhood dream into reality.

San Francisco selected two Oregon State products in the opening rounds of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft's second day -- catcher Andrew Susac (second round, 86th overall) and left-hander Josh Osich (sixth round, 207th overall).

"It was pretty cool," Susac said Tuesday in a phone interview after an Oregon State practice. "We actually walked in and saw each other and said, 'Teammates again or what?' I'm pretty pumped. There's no other player I'd rather be with than Josh. He's a great kid, a really hard worker and really humble."

And Susac has a few goals of his own, some that aren't quite so humble. When he was in eighth grade, the catcher had to write a paper on what he would be doing in 20 years. He admitted that he said he would be playing baseball at AT&T Park and breaking all of Barry Bonds' records. After he heard his name called Tuesday morning, his mom sent him a picture of that paper.

"It's kind of embarrassing but kind of cool at the same time to see that," Susac said. "It's kind of weird, actually -- it's not predicting the future, but it's funny the way things end up like that."

Susac grew up in the Sacramento, Calif., area as a die-hard Giants fan, taking the ferry to games in AT&T Park every month with his dad and his uncle and watching games on TV every other night. Though he could have gone higher than the second round, Susac said getting selected by San Francisco was "a dream come true" for that reason alone, adding, "Playing for the Giants, there can't be anything better than that."

There is the issue of whether Oregon State's star catcher will sign with the Giants, as the Draft-eligible sophomore could return to the Beavers and hope for a higher slot next year. Susac didn't sound optimistic when asked about how quickly he will get into the Giants' system whenever Oregon State's season ends.

"I am ready to get out," he said. "However, the negotiation process is what it is. It'll probably be a while. You never know. If they settle earlier, then they do and I get out there sooner and play. If not, then I take a summer to better myself as a player, work out, hit the weights a little bit and work on my game."

If everything does work out and Susac reaches an agreement with the club by the signing deadline, the Giants will be picking up a highly regarded defensive catcher and a potent bat as well. Entering this weekend's Super Regional series against Vanderbilt, Susac is hitting .313 with nine doubles, four triples and five home runs. He was named to the all-tournament team for the Corvallis Regional and picked up All-Pac-10 Conference honorable mention accolades.

Susac said he prides himself on his defensive prowess -- his blocking skill, strong arm and ability to throw out runners at second -- and he can also provide a lot of pull-hitting power. He spent last summer with the Falmouth Commodores in the Cape Cod League, batting .290 with six doubles, five home runs, 15 RBIs and 13 walks in 29 games -- good enough to be named Baseball America's No. 5 prospect in the league.

His batterymate, Osich, will also look to work his way into the Giants' farm system. He pitched as a starter this year but will likely find his niche as a reliever. Osich was selected in the seventh round last yeaer by the Angels before returning to Oregon State and posting a 6-4 record with a 3.64 ERA, including the fourth no-hitter in school history -- and its first complete-game effort since 1947 -- on April 30 against UCLA.

But before the two can trade in their black and orange for, well, a different black and orange, they're hoping to add a College World Series title to their list of accolades and accomplishments.

"That's the biggest thing, man," Susac said. "I'm just truly blessed to say that I got drafted and we're going to the Super Regional the next day. It's pretty cool. I'm really excited to be a Giant."

Adam Berry is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.